Increase food production, increase income and reduce poverty

Type of organization: Community-based association or organization / Legally recognized non-profit status / Community enterprise or business / Youth group or association

Description

Forest destruction greatly contributed to the failure of food security programs, water shortage, erratic rainfall, high soil erosion rate etc. The project has provided alternation livelihoods through vegetable production and increase crop yield. Farmers are once more able to supply vegetables to the city of Bo. Vegetable seeds have been redistributed and sedentary crop production practice introduced. Tree nurseries have been established and training on agronomic practices has enhanced the capacity of the women crop growers.

Related Sustainable Development Goal(s)

Environmental Impacts

Bagbwe Agroforestry and Cashew Programme is predominantly an agriculture program supporting farmers for their livelihoods in Bagbwe Chiefdom. With the small fund approved by GEF Small Grants program, the organization conducted stakeholders’ engagement in Njala and Mendewa in the bid to introduce the landscape approach for which GEF SGP provided funding. 50 participants benefited from the stakeholder engagement which generated massive support from the traditional heads, land-owning families and youth groups across the chiefdom.

Sustainable Development Impacts

The project has contributed to the prevention and reduction in poverty by supporting livelihoods, providing social and cultural governance and subsistence values of the rural communities, banking on their indigenous knowledge of mitigating climate change

It has contributed to increasing access to improved (high-yielding, quick maturing or pest-resistant) seeds of crop vegetable varieties and fruits that are adapted to local conditions and ecological sustainability, including seasonal vegetables and fruits including Cashew nut avocados, mangos, guava, citrus, and papaya. These will be inter planted with Nitrogen Fixing Trees to improve on soil fertility and will provide fuel wood for the community energy requirement. This is to diversify their economic tree cultivation.

Scalability

The potential for scalability of the project is considered to be high. Due to the innovative approach in which fruit and multipurpose tree growing are closely linked to current poverty levels, incomes and food security including environmental conservation, the project encompasses only the two sections of the chiefdom. Successful implementation, both in terms of poverty reduction outcomes as well as the mainstreaming of beneficiary support processes, would provide a strong argument for replication of the project into other areas within the chiefdom. A replication strategy and action plan would be prepared before the end of the project and reviewed by all key stakeholders. The plan would identify the main lessons learned from the first year of implementation, assess progress and capacity of community people to carry out project activities, as well as resources required to carry out these activities and potential sources.

Replicability

One of the training strategies is through a Farmer Field School process, where farmers may be accommodated from other parts of the chiefdom and beyond. Since schools are going to be involved in the planning and implementation of the project, it will serve as one method of dissemination and communication of results which will make the process of replication very easy and effective. The result of the project achieved at every stage will be discussed at community level, chiefdom level and also during radio discussion at community radio stations. These events will create the platform for replication of the idea in other parts of the country.

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